Active And Pain Free After Hip Replacement? It’s Possible!

Being active is just part of Tom Hammerquist’s everyday routine as full time banker and co-owner of allDimensions Fitness Center with his wife, Barb. An avid cyclist, he doesn’t like to let anything slow him down.

Tom thought that his right hip was possibly deteriorating because of some chronic hip pain and information from an MRI on his lower back from a few years ago. He knew he needed to find a good orthopedic surgeon to address the problem. Having had surgery out of town in the past, Tom knew that he wanted to find a good local doctor and simplify the process.

“I did a little bit of inquiring around about who would be the right person for the job,” Tom said.

“I felt very confident I was in good hands,” Tom said. “It was nice to know he was a sports-minded individual.”

In November 2017, Tom had a total hip replacement and started the recovery process, which included physical therapy and a slow return to his exercise routine. Today, Tom says he’s pain free and as active as ever, including several competitive finishes in regional bike races.

Being in good physical shape prior to surgery is something that Dr. Israelsen said helped to move Tom’s recovery along quickly.

“Tom has done exceptionally well,” Dr. Israelsen said. “What helped him was coming into surgery in such good shape. He’s faster than me on a bike, so I’d say recovery is going well.”

Deciding to have surgery is never an easy process, but Tom says he’s more than pleased with his outcome and Dr. Israelsen’s abilities, as well as his kindness toward his patients.

“I was really impressed with how personable he was,” Tom said. “I was just really impressed with his bedside manner and his friendliness.”

And Tom is quick to share with others how great it is that there’s such a quality surgeon like Dr. Israelsen in Gillette, Wyoming, making it easy and convenient to have surgery right there in the community instead of traveling elsewhere.

“We’ve got as good a surgeon here as anywhere,” Tom said. “It’s nice to know if I had any problems after surgery I could get help immediately from the people who worked on me.”